"Americans may own guns for the purpose of hunting and target shooting" "There is an individual right to bear arms but it's subject to common sense regulation." ~Sen. Barack Obama, 2008

"If someone is so fearful that they are going to start using their weapons to protect their rights, it makes me very nervous that these people have weapons at all." ~Rep. Henry Waxman

"Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe." ~Senator Dianne Feinstein, 1993

"Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves." ~William Pitt, 1783

Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience. ~ John Locke